10 forever again
by Fault in our Divergence
Summary: Dauntless win the War and subdue Erudite. Tris and Tobias train new initiates together and Dauntless life is as jovial as ever.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I sit up bolt upright in the chair with Tobias standing nearby, I try to steady my breathing and glance around the simulation room. Max and Eric are standing outside looking in through the large glass observation window. I jump up and run my fingers through my hair and Tobias leads me out. Once down the hall and out of Eric's view, he pulls me into a tight hug. "You did great. Really, really great." I pulled back trying to stop my smile splitting my face is half. And failing.

"Sorry, if I embarrassed you, I just..." He pulled the lip I didn't know I was biting out of my teeth. "It's ok, you can't control it. I don't mind that much." I raise my eyebrows, "Maybe you were cut out for Candor Tobias, you're a terrible liar!"

We'd walked back to Tobias' apartment and were now stretched out on the couch turning on the tv. Just as we had found a program we both agreed on, the screen went blank and started flickering. Then a fuzzy picture of Jeanine appeared. Tobias and I share a look, "The hell?!" I ask as if he would know more than me. "No idea..."

The screen starts flickering and the black is soon replaced with an image of a severe looking woman dressed in a blue suit. Tobias and I share a look. Jeanine.

"Erudite, as the most powerful faction, believe that the Abnegation should not be in government positions. We are conducting a raid on the sector and putting the Abnegation under house arrest for all of the times they have taken from the rich and kept it for themselves. Any other faction members are welcome to join us." Tobias' forehead crinkles and a look of frustration flashes across his midnight blue eyes. "Bitch?" I say. "Bitch!" In spite of the situation, we both laugh.

"What should we do now? We can't let her do that!" I'm at a complete loss and can't think what to do. "Let's go see Max, he'll work something out. I should think there'll be a faction meeting too." All tiredness from the final test gone, my veins now running with adrenaline.

On the way down the corridor, we run into Uri and Zeke, both hosting the same look of confusion as us. They are heading to Max's office and evidently the whole of dauntless had seen the same footage. We walk in silence until we meet the large black door and Tobias knocks four times. "Come!" The four of us troop in to Max's room and stood in a somber line. "So, what to do?"

After standing in Max's office for what seemed like hours, we had come up with the solution- Dauntless members would attack and subdue Erudite. Any peaceful members would be allowed to stay and start again. Rebuild Erudite. At one point Uriah asked 'what if we fail?' Max coldly replied that we are dauntless, we don't fail.

That evening, after a quiet dinner, a faction meeting was called and the whole of dauntless met in the hall and were told the plan. We were told to prepare our weaponry and be ready to leave before dawn. So that's what Tobias and I were doing. "Alarm?" I ask, sure we would be unable get up otherwise. "There's no way you're getting up if not!" A pillow hit him square in the face and I giggled until he threw it back harder.

"Come on, bed. We'll need our strength tomorrow." Of course he's right but I still sigh. "Nervous?" I ask, already half knowing the answer. "Phff! Yeah right!" We laugh for a second before breathing as one and settling down to sleep.

**_Only my second fic, hope you like it. Not entirely sure about this but only one way to find out!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

'See you on the other side.'

The words echoed around the large canteen, friends and lovers reassuring each other with the completely empty words. It was almost time. Almost time to invade Erudite. Almost time to outsmart the smartest.

"Do you want to say it?" Tobias dragged me out of my own little world. He was in a different group and we wouldn't see each other again until the regroup and we both knew, in our hearts that we might not. "Ok. See you on the other side." He smiled at the cliche. "I love you." He said with a small smile. "I love you too." I reply with a similar smile. "I love you three." "And I love you Four!"

"Come on Dauntless, let's go kick some Erudite ass!" Max was standing on the raised platform and addressing the whole faction. "Get into your groups and prepare to leave. The train will stop since there are so many of us but you better get on buggin' quick!" Tobias and I shared one more hug and got to the front of our groups. We would both be leading the attack.

After quickly briefing my team, we pattered up the metal stairs from the net room to the roof where the train passed by at seemingly random times, following a time table that only Tobias seemed to know. For the first time in rememberable history, the train pulled to a stop for the whole faction to get on and line up in their groups. A nervous chatter swept through the long train car and Uriah tried to smile but it didn't quite meet his eyes. Despite knowing that we, as the fighting faction, could take down the Erudite, we were all nervous. The clever faction who were always one step ahead could easily have something up their sleeves.

Everyone then stiff after the long train ride, the blue and glass selection of buildings loomed in the distance. "You ready?" I say to my team when we near the roof where we will jump. "Let's do it." Is the general reply. We jump.

The chatter of a gun echoed all around and my group soon added to the racket. We were aiming for the control room to secure Jeannine and her little minions. The leader of Erudite was positioned in front of a microscope and it would have been unbelievably easy to secure her until that is, she turned, clicked her fingers and was soon surrounded by men dressed in navy and holding guns. We would have to be clever, the men were evidently waiting on Jeannine's order.

I fired at one guard and hit his leg. The rest of the men then started shooting right at us. But something they hadn't counted on was us wearing their own Kevlar body armour which protected us from the shots. Their moment of hesitation when no-one fell was enough. We shot at them and watched them crumple. While at gunpoint, even Jeannine couldn't outsmart us. "You're under arrest for treason against the faction system, the other faction members may be allowed to come back here and build a new Erudite but you will not be one of them." I had just addressed Jeannine with the speech that I had been practising nonstop- how embarrassing would it be if I got it wrong?

Back on the train to Dauntless, with our extra passengers of the Erudite leaders- a committee of 13 men and women including Jeannine, the groups came together and were told to meet in the canteen on our return to debrief.

"Our mission was successful." Tori was saying to the member gathered in the canteen. "But we had some complications- Max was shot and is in the infirmary." Her voice broke at this so Tobias took over. "If you wish to see him, you will be let into the infirmary in groups of 8." To any one else he may seem heartless but I could see he was working hard to hold back his emotions. Most of Dauntless had tears in their eyes at the idea of their leader not making it.

"You ok?" Tobias had made his way over to me and I was now enveloped in a bone crushing hug. Not many people had died in the attack because of our sudden action and my group did our job of securing the control room quickly. Not many Erudite died either- we took prisoners. "Yeah, tired I guess but yeah." He pulled me by the hand back to our apartment, pushing through the milling crowd.

When we got back and had just sat down, my mind wandered to Max. When I voiced this, Tobias' face fell. "Oh yeah, we should go see him." "Tonight?" I was given a nod in reply.

"Hello sir." This was Uriah who accompanied this rather formal greeting with a bow. Max laughed but immediately stopped and his mask of serenity slipped and showed his true feelings- pain. There should be a name for a laugh that only lasts one syllable. I felt a sharp jab of pain in my ribs and realised that while I was thinking about laughing, everyone else had greeted Max. All of my friends were looking expectantly at me and Tobias (my elbower) raised his eyebrows. "Ummmmmmm," I didn't know what to say but I felt that I should make a noise. Max smiled, "I believe what Tris is trying to say is 'Hello, how are you feeling?" Max's voice was quiet and weak. "What he said!" I replied, my face still feeling flushed. "We hope you feel better soon, we'll leave you in peace." Zeke had said this then made to leave the room. "No!" Max had cried out, startling us all. "I'm seriously ill, I'm old, I don't think I'll get through this." We collectively gasp at what our leader just told us. "Goodbye, fellow Dauntless." And with that, Max closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Celebratory C or D at mine! 5:00 sharp! Friends- be there or else! Everyone else- stay away or else!" Zeke stepped down from the raised platform and came over to our little group. "You are coming right guys?!" "Course bro!" Uri immediately replied with his mouth still full of muffin and spraying the whole table with bits of chocolate cake. Tobias wiped it off his face and smeared it all over Uriah's. The table followed suit and soon Uriah looked like the chocolate monster. We all replied with nods and quiet 'yeses' to Zeke's invitation.

"What is C or D?" I whispered to Tobias. "It's like truth or dare." He replied. I raised my eyebrows, "That doesn't help, Abnegation don't play games. You know that." "Oh yeah, sorry. It's where we take it in turns to ask each other truths or dares and if you don't want to do it you remove a piece of clothing." That clears that up a little but I was still slightly confused.

"You know what this means don't you?!" Said Christina in my ear. I shook my head, brow furrowed. "Shopping!" She shouted loud enough for the whole canteen to hear. I found myself being dragged from the table and out of the double doors. Christina was saying something technical about shopping but I didn't register it and so got a slap when I didn't answer her questions, or indeed even know what they were.

After three hours of shopping (or torture depending on your frame of mind), I was struggling through the door of our apartment with about ten bags from various shops in the pit. I finally got in, dumped my bags and collapsed on the sofa for a well earned rest. "Come on- up up!" I groaned loudly as Tobias spoke in my ear. It was only 4:15 so I though I deserved a rest before facing the horrible task of getting ready. "I can see what you're thinking but you take long showers and Zeke will kill us if we're late!"

45 minutes later, at 5:00 sharp, we stood outside Zeke's door. The door opened and out stepped Zeke who with a low bow, invited us in. "So everyone's here, let's start!" Uriah looked eager to get going. "My house, I start!" Zeke shouted in the virtually silent room."Dude- unnecessary!" Shauna looked angrily at her boyfriend sitting next to her. "Are you trying to like kill my ears?!" Zeke shrugged meekly.

"My dearest brother- Candor or Dauntless?" Uriah just looked at him and his eyes quite plainly said 'really?'. "Ok, point taken. I dare you to egg the next girl to walk past!" Uriah grinned and went to get an egg. He leaned out of the apartment and suddenly lobed the egg. He quickly slammed the door and calmly sat back down. "Who was it? Did she see you?" "It was Eric's girlfriend- I don't even know her name and no she didn't see me; I am a master egger!"

"Right," His eyes skimmed around the circle and landed on... Me! "Tris- Candor or Dauntless?" "Uhhhhhhhhh, Cand... Dauntless..." "That a hard one? You don't sound so sure!" Tobias was teasing me with a joke that only we understood. I smiled stupidly and everyone else looked at us strangely. "Anyway, dauntless, let me think... Ah got it- lick Zeke's toilet." Uriah looked pleased with himself. "Zeke, do you clean your toilet?" I was unsure. "You're supposed to clean toilets?!" Zeke looked genuinely surprised. "Then definitely not! What if you don't want to do a dare?" "You have to remove a piece of clothing but not shoes or socks. And bro, even I know you're supposed to clean toilets, I don't but I know you're supposed to." Everyone, including Mar seemed grossed out by Uriah's statement. Well I definitely wasn't going to do that dare so I removed my sweater revealing a black tank top underneath.

"Tris, your turn." Tobias reminded me. "Oh ok- Lynn, Candor or-" "Dauntless!" She interrupted. "Ummmmm," I tried to think of a decent dare but nothing came to mind. Tobias leant across and started whispering in my ear. "Got it!" I exclaimed, "Kiss everyone in the room except me and Four." She seemed to consider her options. "Cheek of lips?" Should I be mean? "Lips!" Yes, I would be mean. "Ok, fine." She travelled around the circle kissing each person on the lips and deliberately stepping on my toes as she passed. Was that girl ever not grumpy? She got back to her seat and her eyes landed on Tobias. Then Uriah spoke up: "Nice dare Tris but Lynn's about to take it out on your boyfriend!"

"Four," Lynn said in a honeyed voice. "Candor or Dauntless?" He hesitated- face an angry Lynn or be the first to pick Candor? "Dauntless." "Good, go down to the pit in Zeke's unicorn outfit, go into the lingerie store and ask the person at the desk if they have a thong to match your mane." Everyone was hiding laughter except Zeke who wasn't even trying and who's giggles set off everyone else. "I'm sorry," Tobias said whilst removing his leather jacket, "but I know the girl who works their and she doesn't find Candor or Dauntless funny- she'd probably punch me in the face!"

"Two pansycakes in the house and it's not even 6:00 yet!" Uriah exclaimed. "Will Candor or Dauntless?" Will was quick to reply with Dauntless. "Do the cinnamon challenge." Four said nonchalantly. Will nodded and Zeke went to get the cinnamon. "You do know that the chemicals in cinnamon dry out your salivary glands and make it impossible to swallow right?" Tobias nodded and Chris gently touched Will's arm, "Your Erudite is showing darling." Zeke returned with the cinnamon and Will was about to put it in his mouth when Zeke stopped him, "Dude- not on the carpet!" Will moved in to the kitchen, "Better?" "Much!" We all laughed at Zeke being so house conscious but maybe he was making up for the toilet incident. Will closed his eyes and put the spoon into his mouth. His Adam's apple bobbed while he tried to swallow, he lasted about 10 seconds until he spat it out in a great cloud of orange powder which made us all sneeze. "Happy?" Will asked Four, " Very!" He replied grinning.

I was still slightly bewildered by the whole concept of this game but I was starting to have fun. "Chris, old faction or new one?" Will had an evil glint in his eye while looking at his girlfriend. I didn't think this would end well! "I'm Dauntless baby!" Chris shouted for the whole room (more like floor) to hear. "Ok, ok! Let Uriah dye your hair. Green!" Chris considered, I know what I would have done- hell no! "Ok," she hesitated, "Ok I guess. And Uri darling, if you kill my hair- I will kill you!" She dragged Uriah by the shirt in to Zeke's bathroom. "How do you know there's any dye?" Uriah asked. She simply replied with: "We're at Zeke's." They disappeared and Chris slammed the door shut.

"Well they'll be gone for a while so let's play never have I ever!" Lynn suggested. Zeke ran to get shots and I was completely and utterly confudled. All around me everyone was moving into a small circle around a coffee table with loads and loads of shots. "Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" I was standing awkwardly in the corner and everyone looked around with surprise. "Oh yeah," the penny dropped and Tobias realised, "Abnegation- no games. So what happens is: we go around is a circle and say something that we've never done and if anyone has done it they take a shot. Understand?" I nod uncertain. "I start!" Of course Zeke would want to go first. "Never have I ever dressed as a rainbow for Halloween..." He looked slyly at Marlene who had just taken a shot. "I was eight!" She cried and covered her face in her hands, obviously embarrassed. Next Shauna said "Never have I ever eaten Amity bread." Zeke took a shot and simply said "It was a dare." I can imagine Zeke would do anything for a dare! "Never have I ever dated my instructor..." Lynn looked slyly at me as she said this and I took a shot apprehensively. As I tipped the liquid down my throat, I gagged and almost spat it out again. The liquid was burning hit and tasted sour, I swallowed with difficulty then glared at Lynn who just shrugged. Next was Marl who had never eaten grass, Tobias and Zeke took a shot and Shauna explained: double dare. With Uri and Chris gone, it was Will's turn. I was still thinking of what I'd never done that other people would have. Tobias elbowed me and drew me out of my daze. "You have haven't you?" Uh oh- Will must have said something that I'd done and now everyone was staring at me. My face felt hot and I could knew how red it would be. " I said," Will repeated, "never have I ever worn Abnegation grey." "Oh right of course." I took a shot but then something else occurred to me, I looked over to Tobias wondering whether he took a shot his eyes told the tale- no.

"What's going on?" Chris strutted in with dark green hair. It looked truly awful. "And if anyone mentions the hair I will pummel them!" "We were playing never have I ever but you just interrupted." Zeke replied through a mouthful of crisps. Uriah and Chris flopped down and everyone looked expectantly to me. "Never have I ever... errrrrr... Been drunk." Everyone took a shot and tipped it back. "Bad move Prior, you're gonna fall over by the end of the night!" Uri exclaimed with a cheeky smile. Uh oh. I immediately regretted that.

"Come on," whined Chris "It's my turn!" We all turned to her and her eyes skimmed around the circle, selecting a victim. Her brown eyes landed on Tobias. "Four, Candor or Dauntless?" "Dauntless" said Tobias nonchalantly. A wicked smile spread across Chris' face which, teamed with the green hair gave a rather witchly impression. "I really don't want to face an angry Chris so I'm going Candor.." I mentally face palmed- my Dauntless prodigy the first to go for Candor and with a slightly drunk Uriah across the circle... Not good. "Awwww, is the little Foury Woury scared?" Asked Uriah in a patronising babyish voice. I reached over and slapped him, hard. "Ok, an easy one for you: who knows your real name?" Tobias considered, "In the world or the compound?" Asked Tobias, considering his options. "I don't want to be here all night so the compound." Chris replied, looking at her hair using her phone as a mirror and tweaking it slightly. "Ok, ummm, Max, Tori and uhhh Tris." He answered slowly. I was immediately avalanched by masses of questions, mostly along the lines of 'Really?! You know his name?! Awwww he must really love you!' I nod smiling.

"Oh good lord!" Zeke exclaimed, "It's 2:30 in the morning! Jeez!" We all check phones, not trusting Zeke's time telling skills and certain he was wrong. He was- it was 1:30, dimwit. "Ok, my turn," Tobias said. "Uri C or D?" Uri immediately shouted "DAUNTLESS BITCHES!" "Ok, drink a whole bottle of lime juice, at once! Uri swallowed then pulled off his black T-shirt shaking his head, "I have a bad history with lime juice..." I had an idea for Uriah's next truth...

"Ok, my turn... Ummmm, Lynn- Candor or Dauntless?" Heads swiveled to her as she shook her shaven head. "I'm tired so Candor." Uriah fake gasped and Zeke clutched his heart at the sound of Lynn- the most dauntless Dauntless refusing a dare. When she glowered at them, they stopped and Uriah said, "Ok pansycak-" but he was cut off by a flying cushion that hit him square in the face. "I. Am. Not. A. Pansycake." Said Lynn, quite calmly but with menace in her voice. "Ok, ok! No pansycakes here... If you hadn't stayed in Dauntless, where would you be now?" Wow! Uriah came up with a good question- I would have to remember to congratulate him later. "Well probably Candor because I like the idea of no manipulation you know?"

That makes me think, if I wasn't Dauntless- where would I be? Candor? No, the truth I wasn't really my thing. Amity? No, all that happy clappy crap would drive me up the wall. Erudite? Yes, I was knowledgeable and intelligent. Abnegation? Yes, I was selfless and I loved the calm routine. I was brave, I was divergent, and if anyone found out, I was dead. At this thought, a huge sob racked my body and Tobias jumped next to me. He was quick to react and soon I had an arm around my shoulder and was crying uncontrollably on his shoulder. "Guys, Tris is tired, we should probably head back." He picked me up and together we swept out of the apartment.

I only stopped crying at the thought of being found at the bottom of the chasm when we were back at his apartment and was sat on his sofa with a mug of hot, sweet tea. "So what happened?" Tobias looked concerned which made the thought of being snatched away from him even worse. "What if they find me? What if-" I was interrupted, "I won't let that happen, I promise."

By the time I'd fully calmed down, Tobias wouldn't let me walk back to the dorms on my own so I slept at his apartment but unlike the time I was attacked, we both slept in the bed.


End file.
